Expert rejects proposed reforms that could make abortion legal in Argentina

Buenos Aires, Argentina, May 22, 2006 / 12:00 am (CNA).- Father Alberto Bochatey, director of the Institute on Bioethics of the Catholic University of Argentina, has warned that rather than introducing legal reforms, governments should instead be concentrating on how to help women contemplating abortion to save the life of their babies.

In an interview with the AICA news agency, Father Bochatey was asked about possible reforms of Argentina’s Penal Code that would open the door to the legalization of abortion in that country. He said he was hopeful the Church would be consulted regarding the proposals, because “all the Argentinean social groups deserve to be consulted before making a change in the way of life of a people.”

“It is never good that a country legalize a crime, as in the case of abortion,” Father Bochatey said in noting that the Supreme Court of Argentina could issue a ruling similar to the one issued by Colombia’s high court.

Referring to a recent decision by a lower court judge to allow an 11 year-old boy with a terminal illness to be euthanized, Father Bochatey said, “This demonstrates once again the profound crisis in the medical profession.” “Today doctors seek legal protection for fear of malpractice suits, in order to find backing for decisions that they should be able to freely make based on the supporting scientific data.”

He said the crisis is evident also when doctors seek legal recourse “in order to excuse themselves from acting as they should or to find legal backing for a practice that they want to carry out but that is not authorized.”